Evaporative cooler



Dec. 26, 1950 R. N. BROOKINS EVAPORATIVE COOLER Filed May 21, 1945 //V W. N TOR E/(H420 A! Ema/(W5 Patented Dec. 26, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ZRichardfi.Brookingsouth Gate, Calif assignor to BryantEssick, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application May- 21, 1945, Seria'l-No. 596,579

(or. exit-58) 8 Claims.

This invention relates to evaporative "coolers. It is a general object of the present invention to provide a simple, improved practical construction for a cooler where'in water isd-istributed to an e-Vaporative cell of the type commonly :used in 'ev aporative :coolers.

Cooler devices, .more particularly evaporativecoolers such as are generally used for air conditioning purposes, commonly incorporate a wetted=cooler pack having a=oe1lof material such as -excelsior, or :the :like, and a stream of :air is directed through or over the cell to cause evapo ration. The air cooled by the evaporation ,provides an air conditioning and cooling medium for homes, factories, etc. In ;practice, :for effective cooling of the air, the water mustbe distributed over or throughout the cell with reasonable uniformit-y. One type of cooler of the character mentioned includes a trough arranged over the cell, said trough having an overflow edge from which the water overflows. Unless'suchtrough is truly horizontal so that the overflow is -uni-' formly distributed over the "cell, :inefficient oper ationresults. Such prior devices may be initially installed to give efiicient operation, and thereafter become tilted because of sag or distortion of the cooler -or its supports resulting in one end ofthe cell receiving an excess of water while the other end receives :little, if any, water.

The evaporative cooler of the present invention is an improvement of my invention as disclosed in my-patentNo. 2,522,600rgranted'September 19, 1950.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive evaporati-ve cooler incorporating improved means :for obtaining uniform distribution of water to the evaporator cell of said cooler. 77

Another object of my invention :is to provide .-a trough type evaporative cooler of improved, efficient design for :overc'oming the inherent faults of trough-type coolers -of .prior "constri-ictions and which produces eflicient air cooling andcondition-ing.

Another object of my invention is to provide an evaporative cooler -of the type referred to embodying a simple effective and -easily operated means for adjusting the operative position of the water distributing trough for obtaining efficient operation of the cooler.

Another objectof my invention isto providefa'n evaporati-ve cooler embodying a .novel and efficient water distributing Itroughof simpleandrinexpensive construction and aifording "controlof its operative :position after installation :of "the cooler.

further object :of the invention .is to provide a :trough type :evap'orative cooler which the water overflow :portions of the trough are visible trom the outside of the cooler :so that the overfiow of the trough can be viewed to determine whether the trough .needs adjustment to obtain uniform Water distribution to the cell :of the cooler.

A still further object of my invention is to prov-iclesimple, easily Operated and novel ,meansrfor leveling the overflow trough -of -an evaporator cooler of the type referred to, after said cooler has been installed. I

The various objects and features of my invention will be fully understood from the tollowing detailed description of a typical preferred iorm and application of the invention, throughout which description reference is made to the .accompanying drawings, "in which:

Fig. 1 is a side sectional view of an vaporative cooler employing the present invention; A

Fig. 2 71s ,a broken front view of the evaporative ooolerpac'k o'fFig. 1, embodyingin'y invention;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional View of the'upper portion or the cooler pack as taken on the line 3"3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed broken perspective' View of one end of the water distributing trough or my'invention.

The structure provided by my present inven'- tion isipa'rti'oularly useful "asapplied to an ordi= nary or conventional type of evaporative cooler; such as'is used in air conditioning. For "the purpose of disclosing fa typicalsituation in which my invention can be "used to advantage, i have shown a common form of -'evaporative cooler of the type wherein there is one or more cells *of excelsior, or the like, over which water is distributedand wherein air is circulated through the cell orc'ellstocause evaporation and, consequently, a cooling "action.

The-particular cooler illustrated in the drawing involves, generally, a lbox like bod-y A having 'atopB-, a bottom C, what may be termed a front nsidesE, anda rear or back F. Thedev ice illustrated has evaporator packs G occupying the f-ront D and theside's Reach of the'packs G being mounted 1215/8, :unit in the manner common to structures 10f this c'hara'cter. Each pack isa, rectangular unit including a cell through whichai'r 'can :be :circulated and which holds water so that the circulating an contacts the water 'to evaporate Kit. The particular cooler shown involves iaiblOWBl 5H within the body A driven by a :motor J and arranged to draw air into :the 'body' through the several ipack's G and to discharge it out through a discharge or delivery duct K provided at the rear F of the body A. The construction involves means at each evaporator pack G for distributing water over the pack.

The particular cooler pack G which I have illustrated may be said to comprise, generally, a rectangular frame-like housing It having a louvred front Wall ll flush with the body walls at which the pack is arranged. The housing has top and bottom inwardly projecting stiffening flanges l2 and 43, respectively, and at its vertical edges it has side walls It and with stifiening flanges Iii.

A water receiving and distributing trough I1 is arranged longitudinall along and within the top of the housing Iii. The trough is mounted or supported by means it at one end of the trough and by adjusting means H9 at the other end. An evaporator cell 2a is carried by the trough l1 and is disposed within the housing It to receive water from the trough ii and to pass air admitted from the louvred front wall II. A closure frame or the like 2| is provided at the back of the housing Iii to confine the cell within said housing.

The housing ill is preferably formed of sheet metal, the various walls and flanges being integrally formed to provide a substantially rigid element capable of fully resisting distortion in the plane or the front wall H and suitable for embodiment in coolers as above indicated. The louvres 22 are formed in the front wall II by providing horizontal slits in said wall and then pressing or bending the wall in or rearwardly just above each silt to provide a plurality of spaced longitudinally disposed air passage 23. In the case shown the air passages are arranged in two vertical tiers or banks. Said louvres formed as I have provided serve to stiiien the front wall ii and, consequently, the housing Ill.

The trough I1 is a device designed to allow water to overflow along its length to fall upon the cell or cells 20. In the form illustrated, the trough is a simple device formed of sheet metal to have a main part or body which is V-shaped in cross section so that it has upwardly and outwardly divergent side walls 24 and 25. The ends of the body are closed by closure walls 26 and 2'1. The latter walls are each formed with inwardly directed flanges 28 engaged with the trough walls 24 and and preferably spot Welded thereto, as at 29, whereby the trough I1 is not only made rigid but is suitable for holding a quantity of water without accidental spilling or leaking.

Spaced overflow openings are provided in one of the side walls of the trough. For reasons later apparent, I provide said openings in the side wall 24 which is directed toward the front wall H of the housing Ill. The openings which I provide are in the form of slits 30 extending vertically or substantially so through the intermediate longitudinal portion of said wall 24. The vertical extent of the slits 30 is such as to provide an unslitted lower longitudinal wall portion 3| and an unslitted upper longitudinal wall portion 32. To provide water passages I flare or deform, one wall portion 3| adjacent each slit, so that it projects inwardly forming a passage of small water-passing capacity at its lower end 3 3 and progressively increasing in capacity as it advances upwardly toward the middle of the slit at 35. The ofiset wall portions 33 4 also serve to stiffen the trough Wall 24 and consequently the entire trough II.

It will be evident that the trough I! can hold a quantity of water as indicated at W, to the level of the lower ends 34 of the slits 39 without spillage or leakage. As the water level rises in the trough, water will seep through the narrow lower end portions 34 of the passages ,to fall upon the cell 20. Since the water passages are in a horizontal series in the wall of the trough it is evident that unless the lower ends of the passages are substantially horizontal, the passages at one end of the trough will drip more water than those at the other end. If the misalignment is great enough the passages at one end will pass a substantial amount of water while those at the other end will not pass any water. Accordingly, I provide simple and eifective mounting means for the trough I! so that the lower ends 34 of the slits 30 or water passages can be leveled oil? or adjusted to obtain uniform water distribution by adjusting the horizontal disposition of the trough.

The trough that I have shown and described is the subject of my copending application No. 7,371 filed February 10, 1948.

The means 18 for mounting one end of the trough 1'! preferably serves to rigidly secure that end of the trough so that it remains stationary or in a fixed position while the other end of the trough is adjusted. In a simple form of construction the means l8 may involve merely a spot weld connection or the like between the side wall l5 ofthe housing Ii] and the end wall 2'6 of the trough thus making one end of the trough fixed while the other end is free. Mounted in this manner, the trough extends in the manner of a cantilever arm at the rear of the front wall H and toward the opposite side wall I l.

The means 19 is provided for adjustably securing the free end of the trough ll to the housing Ill. The means l9, which is illustrated, comprises a bracket 36 welded or otherwise suitably secured to the trough wall 21. The bracket has a flange 3'! arranged along the inner surface of the front wall I I of the housing. I provide a nut 33, or the like, welded to the flange 31 and disposed to receive a screw 39 passing through an elongated opening 40 in said wall H. A washer 41 is engaged between the screw head and said wall I I. It will be apparent that after installation of the cooler, the trough IT can be leveled and locked in the desired adjusted position by the above described means [9. In a case where a construction such as I have just described is provided at each end of the trough, either end of the trough may be the end shifted to effect adjustment while the other end is left alone or fixed as though welded or otherwise rigidly secured.

It will be noted that the structure which I provide permits viewing of the slits 30 or water passages of the trough at all times through the topmost louvre slits 23, as indicated by the arrow 42 of Fig. 2. It is, therefore, a simple matter to watch the water overflow or drip from the trough as the trough leveling operation is performed.

The cooler is provided with a suitable water supply which is shown as involving a pipe 43, the flow through which can be controlled. I can obtain a desired rate of overflow from the trough by watching the same through said upper louvre slits 23 and by adjusting the flow through the pipe 43.

The cell 20 comprises a flat, substantially rectangular body of excelsior, or the like, forming a assesso pad through which air can beiz'ircul'ated and which can be moistened so that air circulated through it contacts the water delivered to the pad from the trough l l Evaporation of the water takes place to cool the air circulating through the cell. The excelsior cell may =besupported in the path of air flow as by suspending the same upon a horizontal angularly dis'posed serrated ledge -or holderflt wh-ich I-provide on the trough. The holder 44 :has a folded :part or flange 45 spot welded to the wall '25 of the trough f1. By hooking the cell over, the serrated edge of the holder 44, as shown in Fig. 2, and by providing the closure frame 2| at the rear of the pack with a flange 50 overlying the holder to clamp the cell thereto, the cell is firmly held in desired water-receiving and air-passing position. The frame 2| i removably held as by latches 45 engaged with the flanges l6 of the housing.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have provided an extremely simple and inexpensive evaporative cooler; that I have provided for practical and efficient uniform water distribution to the cell of the pack of said cooler, even though the cooler as a whole may not be in a true horizontal position; that the distributing trough can be quickly and easily adjusted to function in a proper manner; that visual means are afiorded to enable suitable control of the quantity of water being supplied; etc.

Havin described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claims:

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An evaporative cooler including, a housing having a front Wall defining the front of the cooler and having an opening therein, an elongate water distributing trough in the housing, means fixing one end of said trough to a stationary part of the housing, and mean supporting the trough at a point remote from said end thereof and operable to vary the angular position of said trough with relation to said housing comprising a member attached to the trough and engaged through the opening in the front wall of said housing to be accessible at the exterior of the housing.

2. An evaporative cooler including a housing having a front wall with an opening and defining the front of the cooler and spaced sides adjoining and extending rearwardly from the front wall, an elongate water distributing trough behind the front and between the sides of the housing, means fixing one end of the trough to one side of said housing, and means for adjustin the position of said trough with relation to said housing including a releasable clamp member engaged through the opening in the front wall of said housing with a part operable from the exterior of the housing and a part engaging the trough at a point spaced a substantial distance from said end.

3. An evaporative cooler including, a housing having a front wall defining the front of the cooler and side walls projecting rearwardly from the front wall, an elongate water distributing trough arranged to the rear of the front wall and extending between the side walls of the housing, means permanently fixing one end of the trough to one side Wall so one end portion 6 or the 'tlOilg-h permanently held against yerti'oal movement in th'e housing, and adjustably connecting the other end portion of the trough to the from wail adjacent the si'd'e wan, said means operating to adjust the said otnerend of'th'e trough vertically. V

'4. An evaporative cooler including, "a housing having a front wail with-an openin and defining the fio'rit of the oodie-r and side wens projecting rearwardly from the front wan, an elongate water distributing trough arranged to the rear of the front wall and extending between the side walls of the h'ousir'i'g, inean's permanently fixing "one end of the trough "to one side wall -'so one end portion of the trough is permanently held against vertical movement in the housing, and means adjustably connecting the other end portion of the trough to the front wall adjacent the other side wall, said latter means including a horizontally disposed screw extending transversely of the trough and engaged through the opening in said front wall and a nut carried by the trough and receiving the screw.

5. An evaporative cooler including, a housing having a front wall with a vertical slot and defining the front of the cooler and side walls projecting rearwardly from the front wall, an elongate water distributing trough arranged to the rear of the front wall and extending between the side walls of the housing, means permanently fixing one end of the trough to one side wall so one end portion of the trough is permanently held against vertical movement in the housing, and means adjustably connecting the trough to the front wall adiacent the other side wall for adjusting the position of said trough with relation to said housing, said latter means including a clamp screw extending transversely of the trough and engaged through the vertical slot in said front wall and a nut carried by the trough and receiving the screw.

6. An evaporative cooler including, an exterior housing having a front wall with louver openings therein, a water distributing trough in the upper portion of the housing and extending parallel with the front wall and having a longitudinal series of normally discharging overflow openings immediately behind said wall, pad means in the lower portion of said housing receiving said overflow water, and means for adjusting the position of the trough with respect to the housing; said trough openings being visible through one of the louver openings to facilitate adjustment.

7. An evaporative cooler including, an exterior housing having a front wall with louver openings therein, a water distributing trough in the upper portion of the housing and extending parallel with the front wall and having a longitudinal series of normally discharging overflow openings immediately behind said wall, pad means in the lower portion of said housing receiving said overflow water, and means for adjusting the position of the trough with respect to the housing; said trough openings being visible through one of the louver openings to facilitate adjustment; said adjusting means including a member attached tothe trough and engaging the front wall of said housing and accessible from the exterior of said housing.

8. An evaporative cooler including, a housing comprising a plurality of walls, louvers in one of said walls, an opening in one of said walls, an elongate water distributing trough having overflow openings in said housing, pad means in said housing below said trough receiving overflow water therefrom, means anchoring one end of said trough to said housing, and means supporting the trough at a point remote from said one end thereof and operable to vary the angular position of said trough with relation to said housing for levelling same comprising a member attached to the trough and housing in register with said opening to be accessible at the exterior of said housing.

RICHARD N. BROOKINS.

REFERENCES CITED Number 8 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Rogers Mar. 31, 1903 Millspaugh Feb. 14, 1905 Sohwanenberg Oct. 9, 1917 Haas Jan. 15, 1918 Faber Feb. 11, 1919 Fulton Aug. 10, 1920 Ostrander Sept. 27, 1932 Coubrough Jan. 8, 1935 Dreyer Apr. 29, 1941 Kunz et a1. Nov. 26, 1940 

